The Washington critic., 1887-05-21
BEAUTIES OF THE CAPITAL.
No Wonder That There is Such Boom
in Real Estate.

The following letter recently published
in the Philadelphia Telegraph gives faint
idea Of the change that has taken place In
our city In the past few years, and indi-
Gates what may be expected 10 the future:
~ took drive the other day around and
about through the park-or number OF
parks strung ogether-stretchiDg from the
river front opposite Arlington to the Cap
itol. was never more impressed with the
growing beauty OF Washington. No Won
der there is such real estate boom This
city is destined to become more beautiful,
more popular, and more populous as long
as the nation stands. Fresh beauties arc
springiDg up about 1t all the while. 1t Is a
vast park planted In forest trees.
"0nly few years ago the "White Lot'
and the Monument grounds were used as
dumping ground, and place where the old
dead letters and other refuse from the De-
partments were burned. The very poorest
OF the city's Inhabitants used to assemble
there to pick over the trash. Old ragged
negro women and men with white hair,
wrinkled aud bent with age, would dig
through the piles, like slaves In diamond
field. Little children, meanly clad, might
be seen there in great numbers gathering the
scraps in old bags and broken baskets.
"lt used to be considered unsafe to pass
through the Smithsonian or the Agricul-
tural grounds late at night. Murders have
be0n committed there and in the Armory lot
adjoining. The Armory lot then was little
more than common. 1t was cut from the
next in the chain toward the Capitol by the
railroad track, and beyond was waste of
commons, without seat or shrub, until
the Botanical Garden, with Its cruel barbed
fence, was reached.
"What a change since then
"The railroad, 1t is true, still ploughs
through the park-the public are slow to
oust strong corporation-but high banks
on either side hide the track, and hand
some stone and iron bridge arches over the
street and ties together the two severed
parts OF the park. The picturesque group
of trash-tillers is not now seen, and the
commons are commons no longer, but
beautiful green parks.
at is one park, green with shrubs, shaded
with trees and fragrant with flowers,
stretching from the Capitol to the river, cut
through with handsome drives. The two
lakes In the Monument lot are to be filled
beauty, and the relic OF the old days Of foot
pads aid commons remain In the high
barbed-iron fence about the Botanical
Garden. was walking past on sunday-the
only day which the people Of Washington
have when they can sit In such place
and found the high Iron gate closed and
locked. This is the case every Sunday and
every evening after working hours. There
are citizens born here, who have never had
an opportunity to 90 behind those iron
bars that imprison the peoples flowers.
The gates are opened to the public only
when the public are not there. Parks In
other parts OF the city are guarded by high
iron fences that ought to come down. This
wrong may be corrected some time, but the
| people OF Washington have way OF sub
mittlng by force of habit.
SIN the park, which is part OF the White
House grounds-the "White Lotn-the
National Drill ia to take place, and the au-
thor,les are permitting the folks interested
| In that enterprise to deface the park by the
erection Of u high board fence about the
central circle Of the park, regardless OF the
shrubs and beautiful trees, that they may
keep away the inquistive public until they
have collected admission money. 1t looks
like baseball field or circus grounds In
the White House garden. 1t looks to me
like an outrageous thing 10 permit,
"Tke flats are being rapidly improved,
and coon the park will extend 10 Que broad
sweep from Arlington to the Capitol, with
q narrow, deep channel Of the river run
ming through. The nats now stand boldly
out OF the water, and there Is no longer q
sickly marsh to be seen."